Turkish historians invited to look at archives in Armenia
Thursday, April 22, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
YEREVAN - Hürriyet Daily News
An exhibition on the allegations of genocide opens in the capital, Yerevan. The chief of the Armenian National Archive is ready to cooperate with Turkish historians.
At the center of the Armenian capital of Yerevan, 30 meters below Abovyan Street, lies a subterranean historical archive covering an immense 7,000 square meters.
The underground repository is one of three different locations, including the National Archives building, holding archival documents related to the country.
The documents most valuable to Armenians are, without a doubt, those that shed light on the painful events of 1915. Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed shortly after World War I under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan insists the events constituted genocide, but Turkey fiercely rejects the label, saying civil strife caused many deaths on both sides.
Turkish-Armenian relations
In a rare interview with a Turkish newspaper, Dr. Amatuni Virabian, the director of the National Archives of Armenia, invited Turkish historians to carry out research in the archives. “We are ready to help them in whatever way we can,” Virabian told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
“The documents in Turkey’s national archives are all in the Ottoman language,” Virabian said. “However, ours are in Armenian, as well as in Russian, English, German and French. This makes things easier for researchers.”
The director also noted that 12,000 documents in the archives have been transferred to the digital medium.
Reflecting on Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s suggestion that a committee of Turkish and Armenian historians could be formed to seek out the truth about the 1915 events, Virabian said he believes this might happen very soon.
“But this should not be done under the title of a committee. And the first attempt should not come from officials,” he said. “We must move gradually.”
Virabian added that he was in touch with associate professor Yusuf Sarınay from Turkey’s General Directorate of State Archives.
Responding to a question on why the Armenian archives in the U.S. city of Boston and in Jerusalem had not been opened yet, Virabian said the Boston archive belongs to Dashnaks and the documents there are currently being catalogued. “The archive at the Jerusalem Patriarchate is kept closed for some stupid reason based on enmity between some individuals,” he said.
Focus on Germany’s role
One argument frequently voiced in Turkey is that opening these archives might uncover the connection between the Committee of Union and Progress, the ruling party of the Ottoman Empire between 1908 and 1918, and Armenian Dashnaks. It is also said that such an action might shed light on whether Dashnaks attacked the Muslim population in eastern provinces of Turkey.
“Yes, a cooperation of some sorts might be found out,” Virabian said. “Of course Armenians also attacked Muslims; I cannot deny this as a historian. But the reason for those attacks was avenging the massacres of 1896 and 1915.”
Armenian historians have recently been focusing on Germany’s role in the events of 1915. “In the Armenian archives, there are documents from the archives of Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and the United States,” Virabian said. “These documents lay it bare that Germany had a part in the events. Being an ally of the Ottoman Empire, it could have stopped [the events] if it wanted to. German military officers themselves attended the killings.”
On June 15, 2005, the German Bundestag passed a resolution on the events of 1915 that deplored “the inglorious role of the German Reich in the face of the organized expulsion and extermination of Armenians, which it did not try to stop.”
The National Archives of Armenia is preparing to display historical documents on the 1915 events at its building in Yerevan on April 23.
“We have recordings dating back to 1916 of the survivors of the genocide, in addition to detailed documents and even films about the districts and provinces in eastern Turkey,” Virabian said. “We also have letters sent by the Armenian Patriarchate in Turkey to Echmiazin, the religious center of Armenians.”
“I want to ask something to those who say [the events of 1915] were not genocide,” Virabian added. “What has happened to the Armenians of Anatolia? Have they run away somewhere? If so, what is their address?”
23 Nisan 2010 Cuma
Armenian conference criticizes Turkey in run-up to April 24
Friday, April 23, 2010
YEREVAN, Vercihan Ziflioğlu - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey did not succeed at driving a wedge between the Armenian state and its diaspora when the two countries signed diplomatic protocols last October, according to an Armenian minister.
“When Turkey established diplomatic connections with Armenia, they thought that the diaspora would be left outside alone,” Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian said this past week during the “International Cultural Genocide Conference” at the city’s Genocide Museum.
“[Turkey] tried to come between the diaspora and Armenia, but in vain. All Armenians in the world are one and together, they will never give up on each other,” he said during his speech.
Many foreign guests were expected to attend the conference, which comes in the run-up to April 24, the day Armenians commemorate the deaths of their ancestors during World War I, but were prevented from doing so due to the presence of volcanic ash across Europe that grounded many flights.
The minister also said the country would do all it takes to make sure the entire world recognizes Armenian genocide claims. Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed shortly after World War I under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan insists the events constituted genocide, but Turkey fiercely rejects the label, saying civil strife caused many deaths on both sides.
Hakobian also accused Turkey of destroying over 2,000 Armenian cultural artifacts in the aftermath of 1915.
At the conference, 15 experts presented papers on different topics, almost all of which were on the Armenian cultural wealth destroyed in Turkey. One of the key topics was Turkey’s Tourism and Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay’s declaration that the historical Surp Haç Armenian church on Akdamar Island in Van would be allowed to hold services once a year.
Participants, however, branded the effort as simply a “political maneuver.”
“They are employing political manipulation and trying to deceive the world,” said Hayk Demoyan, head of the Genocide Museum. “It was only last year when the graveyards at the Ani ruins in Kars were destroyed.”
On the same day of the conference, an exhibition on the events of 1915 was opened by the Dashnak Party at Moscow Cinema Square, one of the most frequented quarters of Yerevan. Meanwhile, an exhibition on the media coverage of the 1915 events was also opened Thursday at the museum.
Friday, April 23, 2010
YEREVAN, Vercihan Ziflioğlu - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey did not succeed at driving a wedge between the Armenian state and its diaspora when the two countries signed diplomatic protocols last October, according to an Armenian minister.
“When Turkey established diplomatic connections with Armenia, they thought that the diaspora would be left outside alone,” Diaspora Minister Hranush Hakobian said this past week during the “International Cultural Genocide Conference” at the city’s Genocide Museum.
“[Turkey] tried to come between the diaspora and Armenia, but in vain. All Armenians in the world are one and together, they will never give up on each other,” he said during his speech.
Many foreign guests were expected to attend the conference, which comes in the run-up to April 24, the day Armenians commemorate the deaths of their ancestors during World War I, but were prevented from doing so due to the presence of volcanic ash across Europe that grounded many flights.
The minister also said the country would do all it takes to make sure the entire world recognizes Armenian genocide claims. Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed shortly after World War I under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Yerevan insists the events constituted genocide, but Turkey fiercely rejects the label, saying civil strife caused many deaths on both sides.
Hakobian also accused Turkey of destroying over 2,000 Armenian cultural artifacts in the aftermath of 1915.
At the conference, 15 experts presented papers on different topics, almost all of which were on the Armenian cultural wealth destroyed in Turkey. One of the key topics was Turkey’s Tourism and Culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay’s declaration that the historical Surp Haç Armenian church on Akdamar Island in Van would be allowed to hold services once a year.
Participants, however, branded the effort as simply a “political maneuver.”
“They are employing political manipulation and trying to deceive the world,” said Hayk Demoyan, head of the Genocide Museum. “It was only last year when the graveyards at the Ani ruins in Kars were destroyed.”
On the same day of the conference, an exhibition on the events of 1915 was opened by the Dashnak Party at Moscow Cinema Square, one of the most frequented quarters of Yerevan. Meanwhile, an exhibition on the media coverage of the 1915 events was also opened Thursday at the museum.
TURKEY • DIPLOMACY Friday, April 23 2010 23:23 GMT+2
Your time is 23:23:52
Friday, April 23, 2010
Vercihan Ziflioğlu
YEREVAN, Armenia - Hürriyet Daily News
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, during his address to the nation, in Yerevan, Armenia. AP photo.
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s statement that the government has frozen all protocols signed with Turkey hit headlines in Armenia on Friday, as Yerevan-based news outlets looked to Turkey to assess the extent of the damage.
Turkish media broke the story Thursday afternoon, while Yerevan waited until the evening for a confirmation from the government. At 7:30 p.m. local time in Armenia, Sarkisian delivered a statement broadcast live on TV and radio, stressing that the protocols were not “suspended” but “withdrawn.”
The news came as a shock for many Armenians, who were also caught off guard exactly one year ago when Turkey and Armenia announced to the world they had reached a consensus on normalizing relations.
The Armenian opposition, mostly the Dashnak Party, which bashed the Sarkisian administration last year due to the protocol, has endorsed a mellow attitude this time.
“It was a mistake to sign the protocols in the first place,” Siranuys Papayan, an academic, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on the streets of the Armenian capital. “Turkey tried to make a good image of itself by signing these protocols in an attempt to show to the international community that it wishes for good relations with its neighbors. [But] Turkey was imposing preconditions on us, namely giving up on the Karabakh and the genocide issues.”
Papayan also criticized the Sarkisian government. “Why did they sign them in the first place and why are they withdrawing now?”
“The public had always been against the protocols,” said an Armenian, declining to give his name. “Sarkisian came to power through treachery. They had to do something to throw dust into people’s eyes and that is why they started negotiations with Turkey. But it did not turn out the way they had expected. The government is responsible for what has happened.”
An architect, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the course of events were important not only for Turkey and Armenia, but also for the entire region. “We must bear in mind that the U.S., the EU and Russia have their own interests in the region. They would not like the process to be suspended. The process could gain a new dimension in the days ahead.”
Speaking at the Yerevan State University, an 18-year-old student said it was long foreseen that the process was “doomed.”
Your time is 23:23:52
Friday, April 23, 2010
Vercihan Ziflioğlu
YEREVAN, Armenia - Hürriyet Daily News
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian, during his address to the nation, in Yerevan, Armenia. AP photo.
Armenian President Serge Sarkisian’s statement that the government has frozen all protocols signed with Turkey hit headlines in Armenia on Friday, as Yerevan-based news outlets looked to Turkey to assess the extent of the damage.
Turkish media broke the story Thursday afternoon, while Yerevan waited until the evening for a confirmation from the government. At 7:30 p.m. local time in Armenia, Sarkisian delivered a statement broadcast live on TV and radio, stressing that the protocols were not “suspended” but “withdrawn.”
The news came as a shock for many Armenians, who were also caught off guard exactly one year ago when Turkey and Armenia announced to the world they had reached a consensus on normalizing relations.
The Armenian opposition, mostly the Dashnak Party, which bashed the Sarkisian administration last year due to the protocol, has endorsed a mellow attitude this time.
“It was a mistake to sign the protocols in the first place,” Siranuys Papayan, an academic, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review on the streets of the Armenian capital. “Turkey tried to make a good image of itself by signing these protocols in an attempt to show to the international community that it wishes for good relations with its neighbors. [But] Turkey was imposing preconditions on us, namely giving up on the Karabakh and the genocide issues.”
Papayan also criticized the Sarkisian government. “Why did they sign them in the first place and why are they withdrawing now?”
“The public had always been against the protocols,” said an Armenian, declining to give his name. “Sarkisian came to power through treachery. They had to do something to throw dust into people’s eyes and that is why they started negotiations with Turkey. But it did not turn out the way they had expected. The government is responsible for what has happened.”
An architect, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the course of events were important not only for Turkey and Armenia, but also for the entire region. “We must bear in mind that the U.S., the EU and Russia have their own interests in the region. They would not like the process to be suspended. The process could gain a new dimension in the days ahead.”
Speaking at the Yerevan State University, an 18-year-old student said it was long foreseen that the process was “doomed.”
12 Nisan 2010 Pazartesi
Armenia skeptical before Erdoğan-Sarkisian meeting
Armenia skeptical before Erdoğan-Sarkisian meeting
Monday, April 12, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
All eyes in Armenia were focused on the meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian President Serge Sarkisian on Monday, as speculation mounted on whether the land border between the two neighbors could be opened.
“Turkey is engaging in political maneuvering before April 24 [the day when some countries commemorate 1915 events],” said David Shahnazarian, representative of the Armenian National Congress. Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review by phone.
Shahnazarian, known as the right-hand man of former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian said: “Turkey just wants to show to the world that relations with Armenia are on track. U.S. President Barack Obama is also trying to fend off pressure through these maneuvers. Turkey will not open the border unless the Karabakh issue is solved.”
Shahnazarian said last year a similar process had unfolded as foreign ministers of both sides on April 23 announced they were working on a road map to normalize relations.
Hagop Avedikian, the editor in chief of Armenian newspaper Azk, agreed. “This year we have a similar situation [to April 23 last year]. The events of 1915 constitute a genocide, and such a great pain should not be used as political material,” Avedikian said.
An important sign
Recalling that Azerbaijian was not invited to the Washington summit, Avedikian said this is an indication that the U.S. sees Turkey-Armenia relations and the Karabakh issue as separate. “The U.S., Russia and the European Union will put pressure on Turkey to approve the protocols, but Ankara cannot leave Baku alone,” he told the Daily News.
Aramazd Ghalamkarian, the deputy director for the daily Haygagan Zhamanag (Armenian Times) offered a different perspective. “For me the process is a regional, supra-national one,” he told the Daily News. “This means there is the will to resolve certain regional issues in the near future, and these issues are not limited to Armenia-Turkey and Armenia-Azerbaijan relations only."
Commenting on the Sarkisian-Erdoğan meeting, Ghalamkarian said the summit will “boost” the process. “I suppose that Russia should be announced as the leader of this process and not the United States, but this is just my idea," he said.
Monday, April 12, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
All eyes in Armenia were focused on the meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Armenian President Serge Sarkisian on Monday, as speculation mounted on whether the land border between the two neighbors could be opened.
“Turkey is engaging in political maneuvering before April 24 [the day when some countries commemorate 1915 events],” said David Shahnazarian, representative of the Armenian National Congress. Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review by phone.
Shahnazarian, known as the right-hand man of former Armenian President Levon Ter-Petrossian said: “Turkey just wants to show to the world that relations with Armenia are on track. U.S. President Barack Obama is also trying to fend off pressure through these maneuvers. Turkey will not open the border unless the Karabakh issue is solved.”
Shahnazarian said last year a similar process had unfolded as foreign ministers of both sides on April 23 announced they were working on a road map to normalize relations.
Hagop Avedikian, the editor in chief of Armenian newspaper Azk, agreed. “This year we have a similar situation [to April 23 last year]. The events of 1915 constitute a genocide, and such a great pain should not be used as political material,” Avedikian said.
An important sign
Recalling that Azerbaijian was not invited to the Washington summit, Avedikian said this is an indication that the U.S. sees Turkey-Armenia relations and the Karabakh issue as separate. “The U.S., Russia and the European Union will put pressure on Turkey to approve the protocols, but Ankara cannot leave Baku alone,” he told the Daily News.
Aramazd Ghalamkarian, the deputy director for the daily Haygagan Zhamanag (Armenian Times) offered a different perspective. “For me the process is a regional, supra-national one,” he told the Daily News. “This means there is the will to resolve certain regional issues in the near future, and these issues are not limited to Armenia-Turkey and Armenia-Azerbaijan relations only."
Commenting on the Sarkisian-Erdoğan meeting, Ghalamkarian said the summit will “boost” the process. “I suppose that Russia should be announced as the leader of this process and not the United States, but this is just my idea," he said.
11 Nisan 2010 Pazar
Turkish-Armenian academic criticizes 'Turkey's policy of denial'
Turkish-Armenian academic criticizes 'Turkey's policy of denial'
Sunday, April 11, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Thorny relations between Turkey and Armenia and the events of 1915 were the subject of a tense live TV debate last week between two controversial figures.
I attended the program not because I am Armenian, but because I am a citizen of Turkey,” said Turkish-Armenian academic Sevan Nişanyan, who appeared on a Habertürk television program along with Yusuf Halaçoğlu, the ex-president of the Turkish Historical Society.
“I work and produce for this country,” Nişanyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview. “All that affects this country’s destiny is my concern, not only the Armenian issue.”
During the program, Halaçoğlu said he used archival documents as the basis for his case that the events of 1915 in no way constituted “genocide” – an argument that Nişanyan dismissed as “official Turkish history.”
Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed in 1915 under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey denies this, saying that any deaths were the result of civil strife that erupted when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.
Nişanyan confirmed that he received threatening messages after the program, but dismissed them, saying he does not really care about such threats. Asked about whether he might face the same risk as Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated Feb. 19, 2007, he said: “I do not believe that a spontaneous murder could be committed in this country; it is not the right milieu for that. Threats are a part of my life and I know very well where they come from.”
The academic said he was initially hesitant about being on the program, but then decided to participate after all. “[If it were not Halaçoğlu on that program] it would have been Yalçın Küçük. I had to pick the best of the worst,” he said. “I attended because it was time that somebody stood up against the lies. I defended historical facts that are well-known by the whole world.”
‘The problem is Ankara’
Nişanyan said Halaçoğlu deliberately manipulated historical documents to make his argument. “For example, he says French ships carried Armenians to Yerevan,” he said. “Is there a sea in Armenia that we somehow do not know about?”
The academic was criticized by many for being very tense and angry on the program.
“My biggest mistake was to get mad, but Halaçoğlu was lying ... and the presenter, Fatih Altaylı, was interrupting me continuously,” he said. “I could not take that any more.”
Speaking about draft bills taken up by legislative bodies worldwide to recognize Armenians' claims of genocide, Nişanyan said: “Nobody questions what happened in 1915, because everybody knows what happened. What is questioned is Turkey’s policy of denial.”
Despite the tension between the two countries, Nişanyan said he believes the problems could be overcome if the Turkish and Armenian peoples establish a dialogue, adding that even the Turkish public itself is now questioning the events of 1915. “Turkish society is a conscientious society. The problem is Ankara,” he said.
The academic was not hopeful, however, about the possibility of opening the land border between the two neighboring nations.
“If the borders are opened and diplomatic relations are established, this will be as a result of pressure from the outside world,” he said. “The current government is catastrophic; they have no vision and the discourse on the [Armenian] initiative is far from convincing.”
Sunday, April 11, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Thorny relations between Turkey and Armenia and the events of 1915 were the subject of a tense live TV debate last week between two controversial figures.
I attended the program not because I am Armenian, but because I am a citizen of Turkey,” said Turkish-Armenian academic Sevan Nişanyan, who appeared on a Habertürk television program along with Yusuf Halaçoğlu, the ex-president of the Turkish Historical Society.
“I work and produce for this country,” Nişanyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview. “All that affects this country’s destiny is my concern, not only the Armenian issue.”
During the program, Halaçoğlu said he used archival documents as the basis for his case that the events of 1915 in no way constituted “genocide” – an argument that Nişanyan dismissed as “official Turkish history.”
Armenia claims up to 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed in 1915 under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey denies this, saying that any deaths were the result of civil strife that erupted when Armenians took up arms for independence in eastern Anatolia.
Nişanyan confirmed that he received threatening messages after the program, but dismissed them, saying he does not really care about such threats. Asked about whether he might face the same risk as Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated Feb. 19, 2007, he said: “I do not believe that a spontaneous murder could be committed in this country; it is not the right milieu for that. Threats are a part of my life and I know very well where they come from.”
The academic said he was initially hesitant about being on the program, but then decided to participate after all. “[If it were not Halaçoğlu on that program] it would have been Yalçın Küçük. I had to pick the best of the worst,” he said. “I attended because it was time that somebody stood up against the lies. I defended historical facts that are well-known by the whole world.”
‘The problem is Ankara’
Nişanyan said Halaçoğlu deliberately manipulated historical documents to make his argument. “For example, he says French ships carried Armenians to Yerevan,” he said. “Is there a sea in Armenia that we somehow do not know about?”
The academic was criticized by many for being very tense and angry on the program.
“My biggest mistake was to get mad, but Halaçoğlu was lying ... and the presenter, Fatih Altaylı, was interrupting me continuously,” he said. “I could not take that any more.”
Speaking about draft bills taken up by legislative bodies worldwide to recognize Armenians' claims of genocide, Nişanyan said: “Nobody questions what happened in 1915, because everybody knows what happened. What is questioned is Turkey’s policy of denial.”
Despite the tension between the two countries, Nişanyan said he believes the problems could be overcome if the Turkish and Armenian peoples establish a dialogue, adding that even the Turkish public itself is now questioning the events of 1915. “Turkish society is a conscientious society. The problem is Ankara,” he said.
The academic was not hopeful, however, about the possibility of opening the land border between the two neighboring nations.
“If the borders are opened and diplomatic relations are established, this will be as a result of pressure from the outside world,” he said. “The current government is catastrophic; they have no vision and the discourse on the [Armenian] initiative is far from convincing.”
8 Nisan 2010 Perşembe
Ateşyan determined to protect clout of Armenian Patriarchate
Ateşyan determined to protect clout of Armenian Patriarchate
Thursday, April 8, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, opposes initiatives to 'civilianize' the community, telling the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that the Armenian community is an inherently religious one
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan.
Elections planned next month for the Armenian Patriarchate are facing serious problems. It will be up to the Interior Ministry to decide whether a patriarch or a co-patriarch will be elected.
Some Istanbul Armenians are in a drive to “civilianize” the community, aiming to weaken the grip of the patriarchate. But Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, says Armenian society is “a religious community,” adding that the patriarch “has been its leader and the patriarchate has been the highest authority in the last 550 years.”
Ateşyan is one of the strongest candidates for the patriarchate. If elected, he would be the 85th patriarch of Turkish Armenians. However, as long as Mesrop II is alive, he would have to work as the co-patriarch.
Patriarch Mesrop II fell sick after the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on Jan. 19, 2007; some members of the community believe his illness is “suspicious.” The patriarchate announced that he has frontotemporal dementia, a syndrome caused by degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain. His duties were transferred to the Spiritual Committee directed by Ateşyan, who has been in that post for two years now.
“Thanks to this post, I could understand better the pressure that Mesrop II was subject to,” Ateşyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview Saturday. “It has been a very important experience for me. He was under severe pressure from both the congregation and the diaspora. Various threats he received were a factor in his illness.”
Civilianization of community
Ateşyan’s strongest rival is Bishop Sebouh Chuljyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese of Gougark. Speaking to the Daily News in a previous interview, Chuljyan defended the so-called civilianization of the Armenian community, as opposed to Ateşyan, adding that if he was elected, he would try to keep the patriarchate “out of politics.”
The reason the election process has become complicated is that there await two applications at the Istanbul Governor’s office, sources said. The first one is for the election of a co-patriarch by the patriarchate while the second is from the “Müteşebbis Heyet” (the “Undertaking Committee”), a civil organization comprised of the chairmen of the community’s foundation.
The committee announced that Mesrop II could not fulfill his duties due to his sickness, therefore the election should be for a patriarch in order to prevent possible legal complications in the future. Whereas Ateşyan says elections could only be for a co-patriarch according to rules of the clergy, adding that as long as Mesrop II is alive, he will be the sole owner of the title.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, opposes initiatives to 'civilianize' the community, telling the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that the Armenian community is an inherently religious one
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan.
Elections planned next month for the Armenian Patriarchate are facing serious problems. It will be up to the Interior Ministry to decide whether a patriarch or a co-patriarch will be elected.
Some Istanbul Armenians are in a drive to “civilianize” the community, aiming to weaken the grip of the patriarchate. But Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, says Armenian society is “a religious community,” adding that the patriarch “has been its leader and the patriarchate has been the highest authority in the last 550 years.”
Ateşyan is one of the strongest candidates for the patriarchate. If elected, he would be the 85th patriarch of Turkish Armenians. However, as long as Mesrop II is alive, he would have to work as the co-patriarch.
Patriarch Mesrop II fell sick after the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink on Jan. 19, 2007; some members of the community believe his illness is “suspicious.” The patriarchate announced that he has frontotemporal dementia, a syndrome caused by degeneration of the frontal lobe of the brain. His duties were transferred to the Spiritual Committee directed by Ateşyan, who has been in that post for two years now.
“Thanks to this post, I could understand better the pressure that Mesrop II was subject to,” Ateşyan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review in an interview Saturday. “It has been a very important experience for me. He was under severe pressure from both the congregation and the diaspora. Various threats he received were a factor in his illness.”
Civilianization of community
Ateşyan’s strongest rival is Bishop Sebouh Chuljyan of the Armenian Apostolic Church Diocese of Gougark. Speaking to the Daily News in a previous interview, Chuljyan defended the so-called civilianization of the Armenian community, as opposed to Ateşyan, adding that if he was elected, he would try to keep the patriarchate “out of politics.”
The reason the election process has become complicated is that there await two applications at the Istanbul Governor’s office, sources said. The first one is for the election of a co-patriarch by the patriarchate while the second is from the “Müteşebbis Heyet” (the “Undertaking Committee”), a civil organization comprised of the chairmen of the community’s foundation.
The committee announced that Mesrop II could not fulfill his duties due to his sickness, therefore the election should be for a patriarch in order to prevent possible legal complications in the future. Whereas Ateşyan says elections could only be for a co-patriarch according to rules of the clergy, adding that as long as Mesrop II is alive, he will be the sole owner of the title.
5 Nisan 2010 Pazartesi
Armenians to embark on cinematic journey to Istanbul
Monday, April 5, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hüriyet Daily News
The first Turkish Film Festival of Armenia was organized from March 25 to 27. Taking its inspiration from Orhan Veli Kanık’s poem, “Listening to Istanbul,” by Bilge Diren Güneş and Veysel Cihan Hızar, will be shown in Armenian cinemas throughout 2010. The film will provide Armenian viewers the chance to have a virtual tour of Istanbul, the directors say
Orhan Veli Kanık, one of Turkish literature’s most beloved poets, is set to share Istanbul with the people of Yerevan thanks to recently a Turkish film festival in Armenia.
Nine films from Turkish directors were screened in the Armenian capital last week as part of the "23.5 Turkish Film Festival in Armenia,” organized by festival directors Gorgiy Vanyan and Luisa Poghosyan with the support of the British Embassy in Yerevan.
As the winner of the jury award, “Istanbul’u Dinliyorum – Listening to Istanbul,” which takes its name from Kanık’s most famous poem, will be played in Yerevan movie theaters throughout the year.
Directed by Istanbul Kültür University’s Cinema and Television Department students Bilgi Diren Güneş and Veysel Cihan Hızar, “Listening to Istanbul” has already been the recipient of a handful national awards.
“Our film has been shown in many festivals but it is very important to us to screen it in Armenia. It made us very happy to get this proposal. The film will be seen by Armenian audiences throughout 2010. We thank everyone,” Hızar recently told the Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review.
Virtual tour of Istanbul through film
Istanbul is a city where many Armenians lived in 19th and 20th centuries, and a source of modern Armenian language and literature.
“Even an Armenian person, who has never seen Istanbul, has definitely an image of this city on his mind,” said Güneş. “The main reason why the film was liked was because of curiosity about Istanbul, in my opinion. It is a very beautiful city that everyone is in love with.”
Hızar said the film would provide an opportunity for all its Armenian viewers to take a virtual journey of the city. “We want people to feel like they are in Istanbul when watching the film.”
Referring to the current tensions between Turkey and Armenia, Hızar said both sides need to find common ground. “As young people, we deeply believe that all offenses will be halted in the near future.”
Agreeing with Hızar, Güneş said: “The artists of both countries have an important mission. They can create a new language between the members of the two publics. We would be very happy if we can make even a small contribution to relations between the two countries with this film.”
‘We grew up on the same land under the same sky’
Güneş was born in the eastern Turkish province of Erzincan, while Hızar was born in southeastern Şanlıurfa before both came to Istanbul for schooling.
“From Erzincan to Sivas, to Diyarbakır, we and the Armenians grew up on the same land under the same sky for centuries,” said Güneş.
Touching on Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated on Jan. 19, 2007, she said: “Just like we want justice for our journalists such as Abdi İpekçi and Uğur Mumcu, we want it for Dink, too. We suffered the same pain as Dink.”
The biggest wish for both directors is to see Armenia, yet travel is difficult because of the limited financial resources available to them as students, Hızar said.
“I hope we can get this chance one day. Maybe our film gets an award and they invite us to the country. Then our dream would come true,” he said.
Monday, April 5, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hüriyet Daily News
The first Turkish Film Festival of Armenia was organized from March 25 to 27. Taking its inspiration from Orhan Veli Kanık’s poem, “Listening to Istanbul,” by Bilge Diren Güneş and Veysel Cihan Hızar, will be shown in Armenian cinemas throughout 2010. The film will provide Armenian viewers the chance to have a virtual tour of Istanbul, the directors say
Orhan Veli Kanık, one of Turkish literature’s most beloved poets, is set to share Istanbul with the people of Yerevan thanks to recently a Turkish film festival in Armenia.
Nine films from Turkish directors were screened in the Armenian capital last week as part of the "23.5 Turkish Film Festival in Armenia,” organized by festival directors Gorgiy Vanyan and Luisa Poghosyan with the support of the British Embassy in Yerevan.
As the winner of the jury award, “Istanbul’u Dinliyorum – Listening to Istanbul,” which takes its name from Kanık’s most famous poem, will be played in Yerevan movie theaters throughout the year.
Directed by Istanbul Kültür University’s Cinema and Television Department students Bilgi Diren Güneş and Veysel Cihan Hızar, “Listening to Istanbul” has already been the recipient of a handful national awards.
“Our film has been shown in many festivals but it is very important to us to screen it in Armenia. It made us very happy to get this proposal. The film will be seen by Armenian audiences throughout 2010. We thank everyone,” Hızar recently told the Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review.
Virtual tour of Istanbul through film
Istanbul is a city where many Armenians lived in 19th and 20th centuries, and a source of modern Armenian language and literature.
“Even an Armenian person, who has never seen Istanbul, has definitely an image of this city on his mind,” said Güneş. “The main reason why the film was liked was because of curiosity about Istanbul, in my opinion. It is a very beautiful city that everyone is in love with.”
Hızar said the film would provide an opportunity for all its Armenian viewers to take a virtual journey of the city. “We want people to feel like they are in Istanbul when watching the film.”
Referring to the current tensions between Turkey and Armenia, Hızar said both sides need to find common ground. “As young people, we deeply believe that all offenses will be halted in the near future.”
Agreeing with Hızar, Güneş said: “The artists of both countries have an important mission. They can create a new language between the members of the two publics. We would be very happy if we can make even a small contribution to relations between the two countries with this film.”
‘We grew up on the same land under the same sky’
Güneş was born in the eastern Turkish province of Erzincan, while Hızar was born in southeastern Şanlıurfa before both came to Istanbul for schooling.
“From Erzincan to Sivas, to Diyarbakır, we and the Armenians grew up on the same land under the same sky for centuries,” said Güneş.
Touching on Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was assassinated on Jan. 19, 2007, she said: “Just like we want justice for our journalists such as Abdi İpekçi and Uğur Mumcu, we want it for Dink, too. We suffered the same pain as Dink.”
The biggest wish for both directors is to see Armenia, yet travel is difficult because of the limited financial resources available to them as students, Hızar said.
“I hope we can get this chance one day. Maybe our film gets an award and they invite us to the country. Then our dream would come true,” he said.
4 Nisan 2010 Pazar
Young Armenian needs treatment in Turkey
Young Armenian needs treatment in Turkey
Sunday, April 4, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Under treatment in Istanbul for the deadly Moyamoya syndrome, 21-year-old Arthur Manukyan’s life hangs in the balance. He is an undocumented Armenian, among those Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to expel last month, and if Turkey does not grant Manuykan permission to stay and his treatment is cut in half, he could die.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review at the Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Hospital Foundation, Manukyan said he was only 14 when he learned he had the disease. Moyamoya, “puff of cigar smoke" in Japanese, is a hereditary illness in which arteries in the brain are constricted.
“At first, I wanted to kill myself, but then what the Bible says came to my mind,” he said. “My eyes cannot see anymore. I am losing my sight. But I want to live.”
Addressing the prime minister, the young Armenian requested permission to stay. “It is forbidden for me to travel. If I have to go, I will die. I know this,” Manukyan said.
The hospital’s neurology specialist, Armenag Mezaduryan, continues to administer Manukyan’s treatment with the help of Istanbul’s Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty. “This is a rare syndrome, and I am treating it for the first time,” Mezaduryan said. “We are striving to keep the flow of blood in the brain going. The veins in the brain need bypass treatment on a regular basis. If the treatment is cut in half it would be fatal. We cannot take that risk. We are doing our best with the help of fellow Turkish experts. If [Manukyan] travels, that would mean be end for him.”
“If we were in Armenia, my son would have already died,” said Hasmig Manukyan, Arthur Manukyan’s 45-year-old mother. “Fortunately, we came to Turkey, by illegal means or not.”
Reflecting on Erdoğan’s statement to the BBC on expelling undocumented Armenians, Hasmig Manukya said: “My world went dark when I heard what he said. I was so afraid for my son.” Hasmig Manukya used to work as a house cleaner to make ends meet, but these days she cannot work due to her son’s situation.
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, also conveyed Arthur Manukyan’s illness to Erdoğan in a letter in November.
“I requested that Manukyan be granted permission to stay,” Ateşyan told the Daily News. “We have also talked about the issue with the prime minister.” Erdoğan is yet to respond, Ateşyan said.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Under treatment in Istanbul for the deadly Moyamoya syndrome, 21-year-old Arthur Manukyan’s life hangs in the balance. He is an undocumented Armenian, among those Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened to expel last month, and if Turkey does not grant Manuykan permission to stay and his treatment is cut in half, he could die.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review at the Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Hospital Foundation, Manukyan said he was only 14 when he learned he had the disease. Moyamoya, “puff of cigar smoke" in Japanese, is a hereditary illness in which arteries in the brain are constricted.
“At first, I wanted to kill myself, but then what the Bible says came to my mind,” he said. “My eyes cannot see anymore. I am losing my sight. But I want to live.”
Addressing the prime minister, the young Armenian requested permission to stay. “It is forbidden for me to travel. If I have to go, I will die. I know this,” Manukyan said.
The hospital’s neurology specialist, Armenag Mezaduryan, continues to administer Manukyan’s treatment with the help of Istanbul’s Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty. “This is a rare syndrome, and I am treating it for the first time,” Mezaduryan said. “We are striving to keep the flow of blood in the brain going. The veins in the brain need bypass treatment on a regular basis. If the treatment is cut in half it would be fatal. We cannot take that risk. We are doing our best with the help of fellow Turkish experts. If [Manukyan] travels, that would mean be end for him.”
“If we were in Armenia, my son would have already died,” said Hasmig Manukyan, Arthur Manukyan’s 45-year-old mother. “Fortunately, we came to Turkey, by illegal means or not.”
Reflecting on Erdoğan’s statement to the BBC on expelling undocumented Armenians, Hasmig Manukya said: “My world went dark when I heard what he said. I was so afraid for my son.” Hasmig Manukya used to work as a house cleaner to make ends meet, but these days she cannot work due to her son’s situation.
Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, the spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, also conveyed Arthur Manukyan’s illness to Erdoğan in a letter in November.
“I requested that Manukyan be granted permission to stay,” Ateşyan told the Daily News. “We have also talked about the issue with the prime minister.” Erdoğan is yet to respond, Ateşyan said.
1 Nisan 2010 Perşembe
Armenian community split over businessman's remarks
Thursday, April 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Angered by a Turkish-Armenian representative’s failure to emphasize the group’s suffering in 1915 during a recent meeting with the prime minister, community members have demanded “civilian” leadership within the community through an online petition.
Turkish, Armenian intellectuals to meet for closer dialogue
The intra-communal split stems from a March 26 meeting in Ankara between Bedros Şirinoğlu, president of the Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital Foundation, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During their conversation, Şirinoğlu, who is also a prominent businessman, described the events of 1915 as “a fight between two brothers,” and said Armenians in Turkey have no problems whatsoever.
Furious at the remarks, some members of the Armenian community have started an online petition campaign at bizbaskabirturkiyedeyasiyoruz.blogspot.com, a domain name that means “We are living in another Turkey.” The petition had been signed by 378 individuals as the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to press Thursday.
Speaking to the Daily News, Şirinoğlu said he was deeply sorry about the issue. “I do not deny what was experienced, but calling it ‘genocide’ does no good to anyone,” he said.
On his being described as the representative of the Armenian community, he said he “does not need any titles.”
“The people are unfortunately unaware of one fact: Anybody who is the president of the Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital Foundation has been described as a community representative since Ottoman times and has special protocol status in Ankara,” he said. “It is not a title exclusive to me. I am not glued to this chair either – anybody who wants to become president can do so when my term ends.”
Rakel Dink, the widow of assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, and other Dink family members are among those who have signed the online petition. Signatories see the petition as a first step on the path toward “civilianizing” the community.
Pakrad Öztukyan, editor at the weekly Agos, where Dink once worked, is among the signatories. “This is the reaction of the Armenian people, a denominational stance and a first step on the path toward civilianization,” he told the Daily News.
Öztukyan claimed Şirinoğlu is the president of the foundation “only because he is wealthy” and “makes donations to community foundations.”
“He is … someone who has ‘bought’ the position,” Öztukyan said. “Şirinoğlu cannot speak in the name of the people.”
Other Turkish Armenians, however, have kept their distance from the dispute. Arsen Aşık, a retired academic from Boğaziçi University, said both sides are “making superficial criticisms” without understanding each other. “Both sides have valid points, but they also have wrong points,” he said.
Erdoğan’s outburst
The dispute, however, is not limited to the petition and is the result of events that have occurred within the community over the past five months.
In November 2009, prominent community members met with the prime minister under the direction of the spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, Aram Ateşyan, at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.
Şirinoğlu was among those who attended the meeting, which apparently laid the foundation for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s outburst against undocumented Armenians during a BBC interview on March 16, in which said there were “170,000 Armenians in Turkey,” and threatened to expel the undocumented ones, which he said totaled 100,000.
“This figure that the prime minister pronounced was the result of the meddling of a friend of ours at the November meeting,” Şirinoğlu said. “Our friend said there were 100,000 undocumented Armenians from Armenia in Turkey and 70,000 Turkish Armenians. Yet, I was held responsible for that remark.”
Although there is no exact figure, the number of undocumented Armenian workers in Turkey is no more than 14,000, according to recent research.
The number was not discussed during the Ankara meeting, Şirinoğlu said.
“We had just asked for an appointment as a foundation. We have serious [legal] issues about the properties of the foundation and its income. We have conveyed our complaints on those matters. The media assumed we were in Ankara because of the prime minister’s remarks, but that is not the truth,” he said.
“My grandfather was a priest in Bahçecik in İzmit. He was murdered in 1915. His throat was slit because he would not cut his beard. Traces of half my family are unknown. I do not deny what has been experienced. I have told my story to the prime minister as well,” Şirinoğlu said.
“What has been experienced between Turks and Armenians was a fight among brothers; a scenario prepared by the West. I could have described what happened as genocide, but that would do no one any good,” he said.
Şirinoğlu also told the Daily News that the Armenian community is experiencing a chaotic period due to of the illness of Patriarch Mesrop II.
“Everybody wants to become prominent and be recognized by the masses,” he said. “There are those who are even using the illness of Mesrop II to their own advantage. The patriarchy elections were interrupted because of that. [The community is waiting for] the approval from the Patriarchy and [the Ministry of the] Interior for an election date. If Istanbul Armenians continue to play tricks, they will endure great harm
Thursday, April 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Angered by a Turkish-Armenian representative’s failure to emphasize the group’s suffering in 1915 during a recent meeting with the prime minister, community members have demanded “civilian” leadership within the community through an online petition.
Turkish, Armenian intellectuals to meet for closer dialogue
The intra-communal split stems from a March 26 meeting in Ankara between Bedros Şirinoğlu, president of the Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital Foundation, and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During their conversation, Şirinoğlu, who is also a prominent businessman, described the events of 1915 as “a fight between two brothers,” and said Armenians in Turkey have no problems whatsoever.
Furious at the remarks, some members of the Armenian community have started an online petition campaign at bizbaskabirturkiyedeyasiyoruz.blogspot.com, a domain name that means “We are living in another Turkey.” The petition had been signed by 378 individuals as the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to press Thursday.
Speaking to the Daily News, Şirinoğlu said he was deeply sorry about the issue. “I do not deny what was experienced, but calling it ‘genocide’ does no good to anyone,” he said.
On his being described as the representative of the Armenian community, he said he “does not need any titles.”
“The people are unfortunately unaware of one fact: Anybody who is the president of the Yedikule Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital Foundation has been described as a community representative since Ottoman times and has special protocol status in Ankara,” he said. “It is not a title exclusive to me. I am not glued to this chair either – anybody who wants to become president can do so when my term ends.”
Rakel Dink, the widow of assassinated Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, and other Dink family members are among those who have signed the online petition. Signatories see the petition as a first step on the path toward “civilianizing” the community.
Pakrad Öztukyan, editor at the weekly Agos, where Dink once worked, is among the signatories. “This is the reaction of the Armenian people, a denominational stance and a first step on the path toward civilianization,” he told the Daily News.
Öztukyan claimed Şirinoğlu is the president of the foundation “only because he is wealthy” and “makes donations to community foundations.”
“He is … someone who has ‘bought’ the position,” Öztukyan said. “Şirinoğlu cannot speak in the name of the people.”
Other Turkish Armenians, however, have kept their distance from the dispute. Arsen Aşık, a retired academic from Boğaziçi University, said both sides are “making superficial criticisms” without understanding each other. “Both sides have valid points, but they also have wrong points,” he said.
Erdoğan’s outburst
The dispute, however, is not limited to the petition and is the result of events that have occurred within the community over the past five months.
In November 2009, prominent community members met with the prime minister under the direction of the spiritual leader of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey, Aram Ateşyan, at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.
Şirinoğlu was among those who attended the meeting, which apparently laid the foundation for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s outburst against undocumented Armenians during a BBC interview on March 16, in which said there were “170,000 Armenians in Turkey,” and threatened to expel the undocumented ones, which he said totaled 100,000.
“This figure that the prime minister pronounced was the result of the meddling of a friend of ours at the November meeting,” Şirinoğlu said. “Our friend said there were 100,000 undocumented Armenians from Armenia in Turkey and 70,000 Turkish Armenians. Yet, I was held responsible for that remark.”
Although there is no exact figure, the number of undocumented Armenian workers in Turkey is no more than 14,000, according to recent research.
The number was not discussed during the Ankara meeting, Şirinoğlu said.
“We had just asked for an appointment as a foundation. We have serious [legal] issues about the properties of the foundation and its income. We have conveyed our complaints on those matters. The media assumed we were in Ankara because of the prime minister’s remarks, but that is not the truth,” he said.
“My grandfather was a priest in Bahçecik in İzmit. He was murdered in 1915. His throat was slit because he would not cut his beard. Traces of half my family are unknown. I do not deny what has been experienced. I have told my story to the prime minister as well,” Şirinoğlu said.
“What has been experienced between Turks and Armenians was a fight among brothers; a scenario prepared by the West. I could have described what happened as genocide, but that would do no one any good,” he said.
Şirinoğlu also told the Daily News that the Armenian community is experiencing a chaotic period due to of the illness of Patriarch Mesrop II.
“Everybody wants to become prominent and be recognized by the masses,” he said. “There are those who are even using the illness of Mesrop II to their own advantage. The patriarchy elections were interrupted because of that. [The community is waiting for] the approval from the Patriarchy and [the Ministry of the] Interior for an election date. If Istanbul Armenians continue to play tricks, they will endure great harm
Istanbul's past Easters remain only in memories
Thursday, April 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
In previous times, Istanbul Easters were very different and were celebrated in the streets not only by Christians, but Muslims as well. Speaking to City Brief, Takuhi Tovmasyan says those days have become fairy tales now, 'all because of politicians'
Over six decades ago, before the black clouds of divisive politics descended upon our lives, Christmas, Easter and religious Muslim holidays were celebrated throughout Turkey with a festival air. The wide doors of wooden houses were kept open as neighbors shared delicious food with each other. Tables were set up in gardens as Turks, Armenians and Greeks enjoyed life with music.
More on Easter
Speaking to City Brief, Takuhi Tovmasyan, a prominent Turkish-Armenian writer, said in those times they waited for all religious holidays enthusiastically.
“I would not blame you if you do not believe me,” she said. “[But] politicians have stolen these beautiful things from our lives. We were just ordinary people, like a big family. Now, everything has become a fairy tale.”
Matters changed for the worse after the Sept. 6-7, 1955, provocation against religious minorities, Tovmasyan said. “Politics crept into our ordinary lives. Our Greek neighbors left Istanbul a few years later. I was only 10 years old, but I could see things would not be the same again.”
Tovmasyan’s first book, “Sofranız Şen Olsun” was published a few years ago by Aras Publications. In her work, she tells the story of Turks and Armenians through things shared, cuisine and smells.
Remembering her childhood in Yedikule, Istanbul, Tovmasyan is visibly moved. “We had a big, big wooden house. Easter meant spring and the smell of flowers,” she said.
“All the windows were opened, curtains fluttered in the wind and the cleaning would begin. Stuffing was prepared, cakes were baked. On the eve of Easter, Armenian and Greek women would carry cakes to bakeries. As they came back, the smell of those cakes would fill our entire street.”
She made her first Easter cake at the age of 11. “I got the recipe from Madam Fofo, a Greek lady. Then, my grandmother taught me how to make Easter bread,” she said.
“Greek women were experts at sweets, while Armenian ladies were the best at ‘mezes,’ [appetizers]. All the food was presented to the neighbors. We would not lock our doors as everyone was part of this big family. We had nothing but love in our hearts for each other.”
A typical Armenian home’s Easter menu included spinach and especially fish, which represented fruitfulness, she said. “And don’t forget stuffed grape leaves and stuffed mussels. On Sunday mornings, after mass, we would give painted eggs, cakes and milk to the children.”
Tovmasyan said she was a naughty girl at the time. “I would play with egg paint, smearing it to all my face and body. I would steal mussels and fish from the kitchen. I’d cover the fish in handkerchiefs and then put them in mussel shells.”
The best memory for a little girl in Easter would be shopping for a red dress and a pair of red shoes. “Dressing up in them was like magic.”
Thursday, April 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
In previous times, Istanbul Easters were very different and were celebrated in the streets not only by Christians, but Muslims as well. Speaking to City Brief, Takuhi Tovmasyan says those days have become fairy tales now, 'all because of politicians'
Over six decades ago, before the black clouds of divisive politics descended upon our lives, Christmas, Easter and religious Muslim holidays were celebrated throughout Turkey with a festival air. The wide doors of wooden houses were kept open as neighbors shared delicious food with each other. Tables were set up in gardens as Turks, Armenians and Greeks enjoyed life with music.
More on Easter
Speaking to City Brief, Takuhi Tovmasyan, a prominent Turkish-Armenian writer, said in those times they waited for all religious holidays enthusiastically.
“I would not blame you if you do not believe me,” she said. “[But] politicians have stolen these beautiful things from our lives. We were just ordinary people, like a big family. Now, everything has become a fairy tale.”
Matters changed for the worse after the Sept. 6-7, 1955, provocation against religious minorities, Tovmasyan said. “Politics crept into our ordinary lives. Our Greek neighbors left Istanbul a few years later. I was only 10 years old, but I could see things would not be the same again.”
Tovmasyan’s first book, “Sofranız Şen Olsun” was published a few years ago by Aras Publications. In her work, she tells the story of Turks and Armenians through things shared, cuisine and smells.
Remembering her childhood in Yedikule, Istanbul, Tovmasyan is visibly moved. “We had a big, big wooden house. Easter meant spring and the smell of flowers,” she said.
“All the windows were opened, curtains fluttered in the wind and the cleaning would begin. Stuffing was prepared, cakes were baked. On the eve of Easter, Armenian and Greek women would carry cakes to bakeries. As they came back, the smell of those cakes would fill our entire street.”
She made her first Easter cake at the age of 11. “I got the recipe from Madam Fofo, a Greek lady. Then, my grandmother taught me how to make Easter bread,” she said.
“Greek women were experts at sweets, while Armenian ladies were the best at ‘mezes,’ [appetizers]. All the food was presented to the neighbors. We would not lock our doors as everyone was part of this big family. We had nothing but love in our hearts for each other.”
A typical Armenian home’s Easter menu included spinach and especially fish, which represented fruitfulness, she said. “And don’t forget stuffed grape leaves and stuffed mussels. On Sunday mornings, after mass, we would give painted eggs, cakes and milk to the children.”
Tovmasyan said she was a naughty girl at the time. “I would play with egg paint, smearing it to all my face and body. I would steal mussels and fish from the kitchen. I’d cover the fish in handkerchiefs and then put them in mussel shells.”
The best memory for a little girl in Easter would be shopping for a red dress and a pair of red shoes. “Dressing up in them was like magic.”
Turkish, Armenian intellectuals to meet for closer dialogue
Thursday, April 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
According to Ragıp Zarakolu, many of the forums about the events of 1915 have only started to take place in Turkey since the year 2005, which he called “the year zero for Turkey. Photo: Hasan ALTINIŞIK
Intellectuals from Turkey and Armenia are set to gather in the Turkish capital on the anniversary of the 1915 killings of Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire.
The meeting is set to occur at a time when the historic normalization process between the two countries has stalled.
Turkish and Armenian intellectuals will meet in Ankara on April 24 and 25 to discuss the events of 1915 and attempt to improve dialogue between the two nations in an event organized by the Ankara Freedom of Thought Initiative.
“We believe the problem between the two nations will be solved only by dialogue,” Sait Çetin, a writer, human-rights activists and one of the organizers of the forum, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
“Matters that concern us in the first degree are being discussed in the capitals of the world because we cannot manage to talk [about them] ourselves. The sincerity of the West is arguable, and Turkey has an attitude of denial,” Çetin added in a March 22 e-mail interview.
Participants in the forum will talk about the events leading up to the 1915 killings, which Armenians refer to as “genocide,” as well as their political implications. Topics of discussion are set to include “The Armenian issue from a historical perspective,” “From [the Committee of] Union and Progress to Kemalism - official ideological denial and termination of the issue,” “The Turkification of the capital” and “The Armenian issue: How to handle it?”
Writer Temel Demirer underscored the importance of such dialogue in order to ensure a more peaceful future, saying that the official ideology in Turkey has tried to cover history up. “We, as Turkish intellectuals, want to face the truth,” he told the Daily News in a phone interview.
When asked about possible reactions, Demirer added: “I do not blame people who say the genocide did not happen. If there is such a thing called freedom of speech, everybody should show respect to each others’ freedom of expression.”
Çetin said the event had originally been planned to take place Jan. 19, the anniversary of the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, but the group had difficulty finding a suitable location in Ankara for that date.
“Actually, it is good that [the meeting] coincided on this date,” he said, referring to April 24, the date on which Armenians commemorate the “genocide.”
“We are going to present a perspective as different as we can for Ankara and Yerevan on the solution of the historical problems,” Çetin added.
‘Genocide’ resolution
The normalization process between Turkey and Armenia hit a new obstacle after a U.S. House of Representatives committee endorsed a resolution calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to label the 1915 killings of Armenians as “genocide.”
Ragıp Zarakolu, a founding member of the Human Rights Association and the owner of Belge International Publishing, said that the voting in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4 had the atmosphere of a football match.
“Such a tragic event becomes a political issue because the Turks and Armenians cannot solve it among themselves,” he said.
According to Zarakolu, many of the forums about the events of 1915 have only started to take place in Turkey since the year 2005, which he called “the year zero for Turkey. It is the year many taboo topics started to be discussed. It was impossible before that.”
The forum will to take place in the hall of the Construction Engineers’ Chamber on Necatibey Street in Ankara.
In addition to Çetin, Demirer and Zarakolu, the 20 scheduled attendees include Sevan Nişanyan, an academic, linguist and writer; Professor Baskın Oran, a political scientist; and Khatcig Mouradian from the U.S.-based Armenian Weekly.
According to Çetin, the discussions at the forum will not be limited the events of 1915, but will also include what happened before and after, as well as contemporary reflections on the subject.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
According to Ragıp Zarakolu, many of the forums about the events of 1915 have only started to take place in Turkey since the year 2005, which he called “the year zero for Turkey. Photo: Hasan ALTINIŞIK
Intellectuals from Turkey and Armenia are set to gather in the Turkish capital on the anniversary of the 1915 killings of Armenians during the last days of the Ottoman Empire.
The meeting is set to occur at a time when the historic normalization process between the two countries has stalled.
Turkish and Armenian intellectuals will meet in Ankara on April 24 and 25 to discuss the events of 1915 and attempt to improve dialogue between the two nations in an event organized by the Ankara Freedom of Thought Initiative.
“We believe the problem between the two nations will be solved only by dialogue,” Sait Çetin, a writer, human-rights activists and one of the organizers of the forum, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
“Matters that concern us in the first degree are being discussed in the capitals of the world because we cannot manage to talk [about them] ourselves. The sincerity of the West is arguable, and Turkey has an attitude of denial,” Çetin added in a March 22 e-mail interview.
Participants in the forum will talk about the events leading up to the 1915 killings, which Armenians refer to as “genocide,” as well as their political implications. Topics of discussion are set to include “The Armenian issue from a historical perspective,” “From [the Committee of] Union and Progress to Kemalism - official ideological denial and termination of the issue,” “The Turkification of the capital” and “The Armenian issue: How to handle it?”
Writer Temel Demirer underscored the importance of such dialogue in order to ensure a more peaceful future, saying that the official ideology in Turkey has tried to cover history up. “We, as Turkish intellectuals, want to face the truth,” he told the Daily News in a phone interview.
When asked about possible reactions, Demirer added: “I do not blame people who say the genocide did not happen. If there is such a thing called freedom of speech, everybody should show respect to each others’ freedom of expression.”
Çetin said the event had originally been planned to take place Jan. 19, the anniversary of the assassination of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, but the group had difficulty finding a suitable location in Ankara for that date.
“Actually, it is good that [the meeting] coincided on this date,” he said, referring to April 24, the date on which Armenians commemorate the “genocide.”
“We are going to present a perspective as different as we can for Ankara and Yerevan on the solution of the historical problems,” Çetin added.
‘Genocide’ resolution
The normalization process between Turkey and Armenia hit a new obstacle after a U.S. House of Representatives committee endorsed a resolution calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to label the 1915 killings of Armenians as “genocide.”
Ragıp Zarakolu, a founding member of the Human Rights Association and the owner of Belge International Publishing, said that the voting in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 4 had the atmosphere of a football match.
“Such a tragic event becomes a political issue because the Turks and Armenians cannot solve it among themselves,” he said.
According to Zarakolu, many of the forums about the events of 1915 have only started to take place in Turkey since the year 2005, which he called “the year zero for Turkey. It is the year many taboo topics started to be discussed. It was impossible before that.”
The forum will to take place in the hall of the Construction Engineers’ Chamber on Necatibey Street in Ankara.
In addition to Çetin, Demirer and Zarakolu, the 20 scheduled attendees include Sevan Nişanyan, an academic, linguist and writer; Professor Baskın Oran, a political scientist; and Khatcig Mouradian from the U.S.-based Armenian Weekly.
According to Çetin, the discussions at the forum will not be limited the events of 1915, but will also include what happened before and after, as well as contemporary reflections on the subject.
First book of art translated into Armenian
First book of art translated into Armenian
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey and Armenia have initiated a common project. A theater play by Hasan Erkek has been translated into Armenian by the Armenian Publishers Union with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 'Eşik' (Cradle) is the first book that breaks the trend of translations only touching on historical problems between the neighboring countries
Hasan Erke, writer of 'Eşik.'
The Armenian Publishers Union and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism have collaborated on a special project. Armenian readers will now be able to read a book on art rather than ones that examine historical problems between the two countries.
The book will be promoted at a ceremony in May at the Armenian Publishers Union. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism participated through subsidizing the translation through the Opening Turkish Literature to the World, or TEDA, a project, which works to publish Turkish cultural, artistic and literary works in foreign languages.
The writer of the book, titled “Eşik” (Cradle), Anadolu University State Conservatory member and the Playwrights and Interpreters Association Chairman Hasan Erkek said his book was published in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. “I hope this coincidence will make a contribution to peace among these three countries. I believe that we will progress more by developing a culture of empathy through art rather than harsh political statements.”
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, the Armenian translator of the book, Meline Anumyan, who is a member of the Hracya Acaryan University Turkish literature department and the Armenian Society Radio Turkish broadcast editor, said, “I am very pleased to translate a book on art rather than history and politics.”
First contact in Istanbul
“Eşik” is a theater play. Depicting various periods of human life, the play tells about these stages in a very effective way through a young girl who grows into a woman. The play has been viewed by more than 60,000 people in different Turkish cities, according to Erkek. In addition to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the book, which has many national awards, was published in France in 2001 with the title “Le Seuil” and initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The idea of publishing the book in Armenia came up in 2008. The Armenian Publishers Union President Vahan Khachatryan, who was the guest of honor at the International Istanbul TÜYAP Book Fair, met Erkek during the fair.
“It was a very nice meeting. I thought we would be able to collaborate, and I sent him my book,” said Erkek. “They decided to publish the book. TEDA gave a small budget for the project, and ‘Eşik’ met Armenian readers thanks to it. It makes me happy that my play reaches more people.”
View of Armenia in Turkish literature
During the time of the Soviet Republics, Turkish literature was followed in Armenia through Russian translations. Although the country gained its independence in 1991, the first translations into Armenian only gained speed during the last two years. The firsts were Fethiye Çetin’s “Anneannem” (My Grandmother) and Nobel laureate writer Orhan Pamuk’s “Kar” (Snow). In her book, Çetin tells the story of her grandmother, who was an Armenian, but became a Muslim and changed her name after 1915.
Right before he won the Nobel Prize, Pamuk gained empathy in Armenia and among the diaspora, saying, “one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds have been murdered on this land.” But in his book, Erkek did not make any reference to the Armenian problem or give place to an Armenian hero. “I don’t know why they wanted to translate ‘Eşik’,” he said. “Maybe its poetic language, characters or folk songs had an influence.”
Themes same with Hovhannes Tumanian
Even though Erkek did not comment on why his book was appreciated in Armenia, Anumyan said: “Erkek’s style has similarities with the immortal poet of Armenian literature Hovhannes Tumanian’s themes. We thought this feature of the book would be familiar to our readers.”
Anumyan said more works from Turkish literature would be translated into Armenian. Erkek also said similar work could be done in Turkey. “Such things are necessary for both societies to know each other better. I hope my book will be the first step for common projects,” he said.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey and Armenia have initiated a common project. A theater play by Hasan Erkek has been translated into Armenian by the Armenian Publishers Union with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 'Eşik' (Cradle) is the first book that breaks the trend of translations only touching on historical problems between the neighboring countries
Hasan Erke, writer of 'Eşik.'
The Armenian Publishers Union and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism have collaborated on a special project. Armenian readers will now be able to read a book on art rather than ones that examine historical problems between the two countries.
The book will be promoted at a ceremony in May at the Armenian Publishers Union. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism participated through subsidizing the translation through the Opening Turkish Literature to the World, or TEDA, a project, which works to publish Turkish cultural, artistic and literary works in foreign languages.
The writer of the book, titled “Eşik” (Cradle), Anadolu University State Conservatory member and the Playwrights and Interpreters Association Chairman Hasan Erkek said his book was published in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. “I hope this coincidence will make a contribution to peace among these three countries. I believe that we will progress more by developing a culture of empathy through art rather than harsh political statements.”
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, the Armenian translator of the book, Meline Anumyan, who is a member of the Hracya Acaryan University Turkish literature department and the Armenian Society Radio Turkish broadcast editor, said, “I am very pleased to translate a book on art rather than history and politics.”
First contact in Istanbul
“Eşik” is a theater play. Depicting various periods of human life, the play tells about these stages in a very effective way through a young girl who grows into a woman. The play has been viewed by more than 60,000 people in different Turkish cities, according to Erkek. In addition to Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia, the book, which has many national awards, was published in France in 2001 with the title “Le Seuil” and initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
The idea of publishing the book in Armenia came up in 2008. The Armenian Publishers Union President Vahan Khachatryan, who was the guest of honor at the International Istanbul TÜYAP Book Fair, met Erkek during the fair.
“It was a very nice meeting. I thought we would be able to collaborate, and I sent him my book,” said Erkek. “They decided to publish the book. TEDA gave a small budget for the project, and ‘Eşik’ met Armenian readers thanks to it. It makes me happy that my play reaches more people.”
View of Armenia in Turkish literature
During the time of the Soviet Republics, Turkish literature was followed in Armenia through Russian translations. Although the country gained its independence in 1991, the first translations into Armenian only gained speed during the last two years. The firsts were Fethiye Çetin’s “Anneannem” (My Grandmother) and Nobel laureate writer Orhan Pamuk’s “Kar” (Snow). In her book, Çetin tells the story of her grandmother, who was an Armenian, but became a Muslim and changed her name after 1915.
Right before he won the Nobel Prize, Pamuk gained empathy in Armenia and among the diaspora, saying, “one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds have been murdered on this land.” But in his book, Erkek did not make any reference to the Armenian problem or give place to an Armenian hero. “I don’t know why they wanted to translate ‘Eşik’,” he said. “Maybe its poetic language, characters or folk songs had an influence.”
Themes same with Hovhannes Tumanian
Even though Erkek did not comment on why his book was appreciated in Armenia, Anumyan said: “Erkek’s style has similarities with the immortal poet of Armenian literature Hovhannes Tumanian’s themes. We thought this feature of the book would be familiar to our readers.”
Anumyan said more works from Turkish literature would be translated into Armenian. Erkek also said similar work could be done in Turkey. “Such things are necessary for both societies to know each other better. I hope my book will be the first step for common projects,” he said.
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)
